Some Microbiological and Histopathological Features of Periodontal Disease in Man

Abstract

The present investigation was designed to study the microbial flora of periodontal pockets and certain histopathological features of adjacent tissues from healthy and diseased sites in humans. Twenty‐two individuals, aged 21 to 28 years, participated in the study. They were selected on the basis of advanced periodontal disease in at least 2 areas of the dentition where pockets could be probed to 8 mm or more and where 50% of the alveolar bone had been lost. In other areas of the dentition sites were found where no bone loss was discernible and where the gingiva was either “healthy” or showed signs of “established gingivitis.” In each patient six sites were selected; two sites with “advanced disease,” two sites with “established gingivitis” and two sites with “healthy gingiva.” From these sites bacterial samples were obtained and subjected to an examination by darkfield microscopy involving the identification of coccoid cells, straight, motile and curved rods, filaments, fusiforms and spirochetes. Biopsies of the adjacent gingival tissues were processed for histology. The infiltrated portion of the connective tissue was subjected to an analysis based on morphometric point counting. The results revealed that different microbiotas were associated with “healthy,” “established gingivitis” and “advanced disease” sites in humans. With increasing degrees of severity of the disease the relative number of motile organisms increased while coccoid cells and straight rods decreased. The composition of the cellular infiltrates in tissues characterized as “healthy,” “established gingivitis” and “advanced disease” differed markedly. Fibroblasts and lymphocytes were found to dominate the lesion in “healthy” units, with plasma cells and blast cells showing a gradual increase in units of “established gingivitis” and “advanced disease.”